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Physicist develops detector capable of counting photons for quantum computing

Detecting a single photon is a challenge in itself. But what if you also want to know exactly how many photons arrive at a particular point at the same time? Physicist Erik Baalbergen is working on light detectors that can do just that. They form a key building block for the optical quantum computer of the future.

“I always enjoyed the experiments with light the most,” says Baalbergen. “And this project brings together the fields of optics, electronics and solid-state physics. It is precisely that intersection that I find incredibly interesting.” During his Ph.D. research at Leiden University, he worked on the development and improvement of specialized light detectors. He defended his thesis, “Photon-Number Resolution with Superconducting Nanowires,” on November 3.

A self-charging toothbrush that generates electricity to kill bacteria while you brush

A lot of time and effort goes into toothbrush technology, whether changing bristle angles or tweaking and improving electric models. No matter the developments, they all essentially still do the same thing to a greater or lesser degree, which is using a mechanical scrubbing motion to clean teeth.

But an upgrade could soon be on the way. Scientists have developed a battery-free toothbrush that generates its own electricity to help kill plaque-causing bacteria as you clean.

Even with scrupulous oral health habits, traditional toothbrushes can still leave some potentially cavity-causing bacteria behind. And regardless of how well you brush before going to bed, by the time morning comes, bacteria have already built back up.

Engineered protein that cuts Alzheimer’s-linked brain deposits opens potential therapeutic avenue

A KAIST-led research team has found that a protein involved in gene regulation can suppress the harmful aggregation of amyloid-beta, a peptide associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The approach also reduced the toxicity of protein aggregates that had already formed.

In experiments using a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, the treatment reduced protein accumulation in the brain and improved memory recognition, suggesting a possible route toward new therapeutics.

The research team led by Professor Mi Hee Lim from the Department of Chemistry identified a new approach to controlling the aggregation and toxicity of amyloid-beta. The findings were published in Advanced Science.

Study Reveals How Brain Function Changes When We Learn Something New

A beginner’s violin lesson may seem worlds apart from dementia research, yet wearable brain scans are revealing signals that could help scientists understand both learning and neurological disease.

Playing a familiar tune on a violin is no simple task for someone who has never held the instrument. Each movement must produce the intended sound, and the brain has to learn how to coordinate those movements. Researchers at the University of Nottingham have now captured changes in brain activity as beginners learned to play, revealing measurable differences after just one violin lesson.

The study, published in the journal Imaging Neuroscience, involved 22 novice violin players. Using a wearable brain scanner, the scientists tracked patterns of neural activity while participants attempted to play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” They found that those who improved the most also showed the greatest changes in certain brain signals associated with movement and learning.

A New Era of Bionic Vision? AI Helps Scientists Unlock the Brain’s Visual Cortex

Researchers have used artificial intelligence to improve how a brain implant stimulates the visual cortex of a blind person, potentially advancing the development of bionic eyes.

Artificial intelligence could make future bionic eyes more precise and responsive by improving how electrical signals communicate with the brain. In a study published in Neuron, researchers used deep learning to control brain stimulation in a blind man, producing more accurate neural responses with less electrical current.

The findings could advance visual prostheses that bypass damaged eyes and optic nerves, stimulating the visual cortex directly to generate perceptions of light.

Scientists Unlock a Hidden Superconducting Power Inside a Strange Quantum Material

Researchers have discovered how pressure can unlock hidden superconducting properties in a complex quantum material.

Applying intense pressure to an unusual quantum material can transform how it conducts electricity, allowing superconductivity to spread throughout its three-dimensional structure at temperatures roughly three times higher than normal. Researchers also found a sevenfold increase in the number of electrons participating in superconductivity.

The discovery comes from a team led by Zurab Guguchia at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, provide new insight into how superconductivity might be strengthened and eventually achieved under more practical conditions.

A Hidden Star May Be Plowing Through Betelgeuse’s Giant Atmosphere

Radio images suggest a link between Betelgeuse’s changing outline and its companion’s expected orbit, offering clues to how a smaller star may influence a giant’s later life.

Betelgeuse, the bright red supergiant marking Orion’s shoulder, may have another star stirring its atmosphere from within. Its recently identified companion, Siwarha, is thought to orbit at a distance of only about twice the giant’s radius. New radio observations suggest that this close neighbor is leaving a visible mark on the shape of Betelgeuse’s outer gas, even though the companion itself is too faint to appear in those observations.

Researchers proposed Siwarha’s existence in 2024 to explain Betelgeuse’s mysterious 2,100-day brightness cycle. Direct imaging and spectroscopic studies of the star’s light have since supported its existence. The companion’s name means “her bracelet,” a reference to Betelgeuse’s Arabic meaning, “the hand of al-Jawza.”